The Portland daily press., 1887-11-24
FRANCOIS RApoux.
Death of an officer Who Fought at
Waterloo.

Waterloo.
Francois Radoux, the old veteran of Water
loo, is dead. He passed away peacefully yes
terdsy at the great age of 81 years and
months.
M. Francois Radoux was borni in st. Savan,
province of Brittany, France, Sept. 8, $780,
his parents were French; his father was
sea captain, and was lost at sea. The child
hood of Francois was barren of other than
commonplace incident. yet his soul was ailve
at an early rage to the tremendous events
which in rapid succession convulsed MS ma
ton. The French revolution, the battle OF
Valma. the execution of Louis XVI. and his
Oueen Marie Antoinette), the fall of Robes
pierre, the growing power and influence OF
certain captain of artillery, Napoleon Bona
parte by name; the Royalist war in La Ven-
dee; Lord Howe's victory over the French;
the conquest of Holland by the French arm
les; the victories Of Bonaparte, commander
of the French army in Italy, over the Aus
TRANS; his Egyptian invasion and sanguinary
work; the battle of the Nile and destruction
of the French fleet by Lord Nelson; another
war between Austria and France; the cross
ing of the Alps by Bonaparte and defeat OF
the Austrians at Marengo; renewal of war
between France and England; Austerlitz
Trafalgar, Jena, Vimiera and Corunna; the
rapid promotion of the artillery captain to
commander-in-chiefa and Emperor of France
these all followed in quick succession by
the time he had reached the age of 16. In
that year-1s00-young Radoux enlisted on a
French privateer. the Vetren, Capt. Legrand.
But, after a short and bloodless experience,
he, with others, was captured by British
cruiser, they being surprised and oyerpow-
cred by superior numbers. He was trans
ferred to prison ship, and, for seven long
weary years and some months, he was pris-
oner of war, all of which time he never saw the
moon nor stars. But one day he saved from
drowning an English officer, for which SER
vice he was Internationally released
Radoux forthwith returned to his native
town, where he was received as one risen
from the dead. He married Mile. Jeannett
Adams, and settled down to domestic life, to
cultivate the arts of peace. But his dreams
of quiet, domestic life were soon to be dis
PEELED, for one of the most important war
dramas in the history of the world was about
to be inaugurated-a storm that was des-
tined to eliminate in the world-famous
Waterloo.
Among the recruits who responded to
Napoleon's call to arms, in 1914, was young
Radoux. He received the appointment of
lieutenant in Capt. Michars company, 74th
regiment of infantry; and he and his COM
mand, in their blue uniforms and caps, fully
armed and equipped, marched out from the
fortress of st. Malo, thence across the low
neck of land to st. Severance, and on to the
Belg ian frontier, to join the forces of
Grouchy, constituting division of the main
army commanded by Napoleon in person.
The story of Waterloo and the disastrous
result to the French army by the failure of
Grouchy to effect a junction with the EN-
peror on that memorable 18th of June, 1914,
is too familiar to need recapitulaton. In
the darkness of night the remnant of that
splendid army, which few hours before had
greeted their beloved chief with shouts of
"Viye pEmpereurl' fed, disordered mob,
toward Paris, pursued by Blucher's Prus-
| slams, and the brief but momentous cam
paign was ended. The French troops made
their way to their homes; and thus termin-
dltQ Ll1t MILITARY CafccI VI
The next year Lieut.. Radoux, with his
wife and young child-the latter afterward
Mrs. Jane Dam of this city-came to the
United States and went to Raymond where
he engaged in milling and taught dancing.
In his day he was as celebrated a master of
this accomplishment as Papanti was in Bos-
ton. His first wife died in this country and
he married for his second wife Susan Ding
ley, an aunt of Nathaniel Hawthorne,at that
time youth in college. She, too, is long
since numbered with the dead, Some % or
80 years ago he removed to Portland, where
he has ever since resided. Besides Mrs.
Dam, he has three iother children living-a
son at Sebago Lake, a daughter in Philadel-
phia and another daughter in Washington.
Lieut. Radoux was a little under six feet in
height, had full, blue eyes, smooth, slightly
wrinkled face, small, clear cut features, a
straight, military figure; though partially
bald, there still remained semi-cirele OF
short gray locks, and he wore beard of me-
dunn length of pure white, as fine and clear
and handsome as could be found on any 9TH
er face in this city. He was a most polished
and agreeable gentleman to the last.